The Codex Malum |::Haru::Shiva::|

[Haruchai]

​

Readily agreeing to go and see the port city, Elric gave a slight sound of understanding as Phaedra explained it was the airship that caused her stress. When she asked how he handled it so easily he shrugged. "I guess I never really thought about it. On an airship, or even on a seagoing vessel, I never seem to have much problem. I'm sure it is my... dual nature. Byakko probably doesn't care much for flying, but he's an ace in the water. So maybe between us both we just handle it all better." he posited as an explanation.

Phaedra gave a bit of an idea what she was looking for and with that goal in mind it helped give Elric a purpose here in the city. "I'm sure there's a place here in Shadow Port to purchase just exactly what you're looking for. I wonder what the price might be." he mused, knowing that just about anything could be found for sale here. Or so the rumors would say. The very mention of food made his stomach give a loud rumble, and the slight flush of his cheeks showed his embarrassment. As a Zoespiritum he had quite an appetite, and transforming took a lot of energy. Now that he thought about it he was quite ravenous.

The strange tents drew their attention, and really, there was no good way into the city without passing them. As they got closer they could see some physicians, and what would appear to be faith healers. The man that they approached had both a blade and the instruments of a healer, and his gaze swept over them and the direction that they had come from. It was obvious that they were new arrivals, and likely not a threat.

The man gave a nod and gestured at the people on the cots that had been set up. "These people suffered some sort of attack. The wounds began to fester soon thereafter, and so as soon as they tried to disembark from their ship we detained them here. No matter what healing we apply their conditions seem to worsen." the man explained. Even as Phaedra and Elric would watch those in the beds did not seem to be in any pain, but their flesh seemed to bubble and throb, and they were hyperventilating. Sweat poured from them. "They've been like this for two days now, and we're still hoping their fevers will break. the man explained. "So long as they draw breath there is hope." he said.

When asked if they could enter the city the man nodded and drew forth a pre-written writ of passage. "I am Magister Noah, and I saw your ship come in, and a spoke briefly with a couple others from it as well." he briefly explained. He handed the writ to Phaedra, who was obviously in charge.

 

[Shiva the Cat]

"They were attacked at sea? Did they say by what?" Phaedra asked, her farsighted eyes taking in the victim's condition even at this great distance. She was no doctor, but if she were to guess what had happened it would have been that the victims had been badly burned. There had been an old elf that occasionally came into the Rook and Vine when she was young, and his burn scars had looked bubbly like that. He had always said he'd been burned by a dragon, but no one, her mother in particular, ever seemed to believe him. Besides, there's no dragons in this part of the world.

Suddenly, a new thought occurred to her, and she turned back to Noah with fresh alarm in her eyes. "What ship were they on?" she demanded, turning back down the harbor to see if she recognized the dragon-shaped figurehead of the Fighter Adam. Phaedra had thought it odd that it hadn't come into the port at Axis in a while, but if it had delayed here...no. There was no sign of the ship on the docks, thank Ceto. Relaxing somewhat, she looked upon the victims with fresh pity, but more than a little relief that she did not spy her brother Ronan among them.

"Did our crew inform you that we too were attacked? We fared better than this poor lot though. The ship was damaged, but to my knowledge, no one was badly hurt." Aside from her own poor nerves, that is. "The thing that came after us was something like a giant gojji from the southern reaches of Giant's Walk. I think it was undead, judging by the condition of its body, but we shot the beast down several leagues off the coast of Glitterhaegen, and by the will of Ceto, it's now rotting at the bottom of the sea." But would it stay there? Phaedra shivered a little at the idea of the monster rising from the depths, if not so high as to trouble the airship, then at least high enough to cause trouble for boats like the Fighter Adam and those docked down the way.

Come to think of it, it was a strange coincidence that the airship had narrowly avoided one danger, only to land in a port fraught with its own perils. Phaedra drew a little closer to Elric, and dropped her voice to a whisper only he could hear. "Do you suppose this has something to do with...those we are fleeing?" Port folks could be suspicious, she knew that first hand. It was better not to name the Necelim aloud and risk causing a panic. But was it her imagination, or did that pulsing, ugly flesh on the victims in the tent bear a strange resemblance to that of the gojji? Granted he had been dead, and according to the healers these people yet lived (although judging by the necrosis setting in on a few of the victims, the librarian wasn't entirely sure about that), but it was still a discomforting parallel.

"If you don't mind, Magister Noah, my associate and I do need to be on our way before the shops close for the day," she said finally. Purchasing shells suddenly seemed very unimportant, but she was desperate to check the harbor's register for any sign of Ronan's ship, and then to get someplace quiet with Elric where they could discuss the victims. "But if it's all right, I'd like to check back here when we return to our ship. Would that be all right?"

 

[Haruchai]

​

Magister Noah nodded, but seemed reticent. "Some sort of monster. But what they've told us doesn't make sense. One of the crew turned on them, seemed to sprout horns and attacked them with claw and fang." he said. "I just can't figure out what did this. No matter what we do the wounds won't heal, and though they seemed to get better at first they've gotten much worse over the last twelve hours. I'm afraid they'll likely die soon. When they do I'll have the bodies incinerated." he informed them. When asked about the ship they'd come in on he said, "The Cobalt. A freighter. Other than these members of the crew everyone else seemed fine and the cargo was intact, a shipment of lumber. The rest of the crew was released after a twenty-four hour quarantine, and they're in the city." he informed them.

The Magister nodded as Phaedra asked if he'd spoken to their own crew. "Yes, the mechanic girl and the other crewman. They'd mentioned you were attacked as well, but luckily nobody was seriously injured. I doubt the two attacks are related in any way however." he replied, and Just then one of the men moaned, back arching before he settled and laid very still, head lolled to the side, eyes vacant. The Magister sighed and gave a nod to one of the attending physicians who immediately pronounced the man deceased. The Magister spread his hands. "Seems it won't be long now, and yes, you're welcome to come back through here when you're done in the city." he informed them.

Elric had stayed quiet as Phaedra and the Magister spoke, but he had an idea just what had caused those wounds and infections in the men. So did Phaedra he wagered. He frowned as one of the men perished right on the spot, hand straying to the hilt of his longsword. The terse line of his mouth deepened, muscles tensing. He shot a look to Phaedra, unsure if she even saw. He'd heard tales and seen first hand accounts documented of what happened in situations like this... and it was not pretty. It was not his place to say what the Agent did, it was to protect her, so Elric held his tongue and waited to see if Phaedra would decide to go into the city, back to the ship, or stay close to the triage area.

 

[Shiva the Cat]

It took a great deal of strength, but Phaedra managed to keep a completely blank expression at Noah's explanation of the attack, despite feeling like screaming out in despair. Her eyes only shifted over to Elric; he would know what the Magister was describing. More Necelim, and this time attacking innocent (well, presumably innocent) bystanders. For what purpose? she wondered. Just to cause more wanton death and destruction? According the old books, that wasn't exactly out of the monsters' character, but if they just wanted to slaughter surely they could have found easier targets than a ship full of hardened sailors. Then again, maybe the Necelim were already hard at work eviscerating country folk and wanderers on the road, and they just hadn't heard of it yet.

The librarian nodded in agreement at the idea of burning the bodies. Such things were rarely done in modern times, but in the histories it was well known that those killed by the Necelim needed to be incinerated. It was the only way to prevent...

"Great Ceto, it was undead," Phaedra whispered to herself, recalling the gojji. Slaughtered, then remade into a grotesque slave of the devils. Perhaps it hadn't even been a single gojji, but several fused together to create such a heaving abomination...she was almost sick at the memory of it. She swallowed hard, then looked back at Noah. "When they do pass, don't hesitate. Burn them immediately. If you don't, the entire city may be in danger. How late are your general stores open?" Despite the shift in subjects, the librarian's voice was just as stern and insistent. "We need to get our hands on a good supply of honey. I recommend your guards do the same, and prepare to anoint any that act suspiciously." She glanced around again, then dropped her voice to a tone that could only be heard by the Magister. "If there are any scholars of the Necelim wars in your city, fetch them and tell them what you have told me. They will know what needs to be done."

Finally she stepped back and made as if to leave. "One more thing: are there any alchemists in Shadow Port? I'm looking to purchase some shells." Phaedra gestured towards the pistol in her shoulder holster. "I fear we may need them before the night is over," she muttered to Elric, gesturing for him to follow her into the city.

When they were away from the docks, she gently took her Guardian by the arm and led him into a secluded alley. "Well, what did you think of that?" she asked, a little of her old sarcastic gruffness creeping back into her voice. "How much are you willing to bet there isn't at least on Necel in Shadow Port right now? Because I'll eat my watch if the one that attacked those poor souls decided to head back home to Ceto-knows-where and have a cup of tea by the fire. Do you think it knows we're here, or is our luck that good?"

 

[Haruchai]

​

Elric's gaze narrowed and on instinct he moved slightly, partially blocking Phaedra with his body as one of the bodies began to... change. It was a female and her torso split open in and instant, blood red tentacles emerging as she seemed to give birth to some sort of abomination. Elric spit a curse as those around the woman seemed frozen, panicked and confused about just what to do as she, or rather what was left of her, jolted upright, her chest opening. The vacant stare of the corpse told Elric she was indeed dead, but the writhing mass emerging from her spoke otherwise. In another instant she, or it, was on it's feet. A gaping maw had opened in her chest, and it lunged at the closest person, who screamed as he was grabbed and bones snapped as tentacles broke his arms and drew him closer.

It was apparent that the people here were not fighters and were completely unprepared for what had been unleashed in their midst. Elric drew his sword and leaped into the fray, the longsword slashing downward and severing several of the blood red tentacles - enough to free the man that had been caught, though he'd likely be maimed for life. But alive. As this happened the other two people who had been attacked grew very still, and Elric knew that in another few moments they were going to have a real fight on their hands.

"Run!" he shouted, commanding those who had not already fled to do so, and he laid about him with his sword, the abomination screaming in pain as the steel sliced into it, though seemed to little lasting damage. Whatever this thing had for a brain was what he needed to kill. "Have any more of those fire shells?" he called to Phaedra as he managed to avoid some of the flailing tentacles, slashing at them with his sword. In any moment he knew the others that had been attacked would be turning as well, the infectious curse of the Necelim twisting these poor people into monsters. It had to be a Necelim cleric or priest as they were the only ones with that power. The thing was... was it in the city?

 

[Shiva the Cat]

Phaedra wasn't sure what was happening at first. They might have been out of earshot of the tents, but they were still well within sight, and at first glance the librarian thought one of the victims was finally rousing. But the sound of screams and bones snapping (so loud she shuddered, feeling her stomach turn a little) quickly quelled that idea, and as she ducked around Elric's form she saw a burst of tentacles grabbing one of the attendants. Before she could even move her hand to her gun, she heard more bones snapping as the tentacles began to tear the poor man apart.

"Elric!" she gasped, but her Guardian had already drawn his sword and launched himself at the beast, which she guessed only moments before had been an innocent, pitiful victim. She didn't like the idea of firing her pistol on such a wretch, but she knew from the histories that in this stage, the only comfort anyone could provide the woman would be a quick--and permanent--death. There was just one problem.

"Yes, of course I have them," Phaedra answered impatiently, in between directing terrified citizens away from the tents. "But I can't use them here, we'll set the whole damn harbor on fire. We need to lead it away, now!" The question was, where? With the exception of the airship, all other vessels in port seemed to be made of wood (and a few looked like coal and timber ships, adding to the danger). A few of the buildings nearby appeared to be stone, which might be a safe enough gamble, but she hadn't the foggiest idea of the port's fire response capabilities. It wouldn't mean anything if they killed off the monsters only to burn all the other townsfolk to death.

Suddenly, she heard a groan and sickening series of pops to her right. Impulsively drawing her pistol, she turned and saw another one of the victims...or what had once been one. Phaedra couldn't say for sure if the man had always been oddly bald or had his flesh sloughing off his body, but the horns sprouting from his head and nose definitely did not seem natural, and his rapidly lengthening jaw (and sprouting teeth with every disgusting stretch) was disconcerting, to say the least. Letting out a shriek, she stumbled backward out of the tent and almost off of the dock itself, only saving herself by grabbing on to a pylon at the end of the dock. Her hand slipped a little as it attempted to grab at a rough rope, the only fastening for a particularly foul-smelling refuse barge tied up in the water below.

"Mother of Ceto..." Phaedra murmured, glancing down at the mounds of ash, garbage, and other worse filth, and cursed the idea that popped into her head. The barge was unmanned, about twenty or so feet wide, and more than four times as long. There was no particular gangplank leading from the dock down to its disgusting surface, but the drop was only perhaps four feet or so. If they needed to burn something, she couldn't think of anything better nearby.

"Down here!" she shouted, both to Elric and the monsters in the tents, which were rapidly beginning to multiply. The librarian waved her pistol tauntingly, and drew the attention of the horned monstrosity, which let out an animalistic growl and leapt for her on all fours. With a silent little prayer, Phaedra leapt backwards onto the barge and began to run for the far side, luring the beast away from the dock. Despite his still breaking and twisting body, the monster moved startlingly fast, and would have been on her if she hadn't finally turned and fired the pistol directly into his chest.

She had loaded all three chambers of her gun with #3 shells, and the monster instantly burst into flame and fell back onto a mound of some slightly damp filth that emitting a nauseating smoke into the air. Phaedra quickly sidestepped the flaming figure and moved back towards the dock, hoping to lure others to such a fate.

 

[Haruchai]

​

One moment things were somewhat normal and the next all hell broke loose. The bystanders panicked, as he had thought they might, though they did manage, somehow, to follow his instructions to run. Byakko roared in his head as the abominations moved, and Phaedra set one alight. The scream the creature made was horrific and yet somehow satisfying, as whatever regeneration the beast had was neutralized and the flesh bubbled and burned.

Then Elric was unable to stop it. The transformation was upon him before he knew it, and in another moment Byakko was there, larger, stronger, and more fierce as a deafening roar split the air, making it practically vibrate as he moved to intercept any creature that dared go near Phaedra.

​

Byakko had monitored the situation all along and could see Phaedra's plan, and with a great burst of speed he was a blur as he moved behind the beasts, driving the point of his sword into one and out the other side. He flung it like a ragdoll, the body tumbling through the air, away from Phaedra and out of the tent. Then he began to herd the others as best he could, keeping a close eye on his Librarian as he did so.

The one she had caught on fire rolled toward the side of the barge without her urging, intent on putting itself out in the water - which proved that they more more than simple unthinking beasts. They had at least a drive for survival, as did all living things. Which made Byakko wonder; if it reached the water and doused itself, would it be able to heal? Perhaps it might be best to leave it be and observe so that they knew. The more information they could gather on these things, the better.

His great sword swung in vicious arcs, whistling through the air, such was the force behind the blows, and he managed to fend off the tentacled horror that charged him. Thin whip-like tentacles wrapped around one arm, surprisingly strong for their size, but with a wrench Byakko pulled free, ripping some of the tentacles off the abomination in the process. So, at least for this one, he was stronger... faster too, as he ducked inside the writhing mass and struck with his sword again. He briefly contemplated a higher enchantment for the blade, one that could neutralize their healing, but that would be for another time.

One dashed toward Phaedra and Byakko roared a warning. He knew she had lured them, but his drive to protect her was strong and ignoring the one before him he charged after the other.

 

[Shiva the Cat]

She might have known setting the monsters on fire would be too easy of a resolution. A cry of dismay escaped her lips as the burning beast suddenly dove overboard and into the murky waters of the harbor with an ominous splash. Without paying much attention to the activity behind her, Phaedra stumbled through the refuse mounds to make her way to the edge of the barge and peer overboard. The surface of the water was still roiling and bubbling, but the thing did at least appear to be sinking. Does it not know how to swim? Or is it too dense to float? the librarian's analytical mind wondered, but she didn't have time to linger on such thoughts. Her first enemy might be lost to the depths (or appear to be so), but there were other dangers behind her.

The cracking of bones again seemed to thunder across the docks, and Phaedra whirled around with her pistol raised again, another #3 ready to go. It was only due to her farsightedness that she realized the figure that was growing and changing shape wasn't another poor wretch transforming into a monster, but merely her partner shifting from a human body to a feline one. Her posture relaxed a little, and indeed Elric might have been offended to know what a relief she felt seeing Byakko's powerful form take his place. She was transfixed at the sight of the tiger easily throwing aside their enemies as though they were no more troublesome than insects, but if they weren't careful the monstrosities might venture deeper into the town, instead of into Phaedra's trap.

And now there was another danger at hand. Although the beast she had shot was nowhere to be found (hopefully it was drowned at the bottom of the harbor), its previously-burning body had caught at one of the rubbish piles, which was starting to grow into a foul-smelling bonfire. Coughing on the disgusting smoke, Phaedra carefully, but as quickly as she could manage, climbed onto the rail of the barge and began to move back towards the dock, placing one foot directly in front of the other and hoping to get past the fire before it cut off her escape entirely. The rail itself was barely four or five inches wide and appeared to be rotten in places, making her movements all the more precarious.

Then came Byakko's roar, the sound of which nearly sent the woman flying overboard. Thankfully it came just in time to call her attention to another monster that was charging straight towards her, regardless of the spreading flames. Her pistol raised again, but the smoke was getting thicker and it was getting harder to see...and breathe. Coughing harder and feeling nauseous at the smell of the smoke, Phaedra tried to move farther down the rail when she saw a huge form lunging towards her. Instinct took over and she fired, only realizing after she had pulled the trigger that there were two forms, not one, that had leapt onto the barge. Her heart dropped into her stomach as something burst into another pillar of flame.

"BYAKKO!" she shrieked, praying to every god she had ever heard of that she hadn't just set her partner on fire.

 

[Haruchai]

​

The smoke from the fire was foul, and Byakko quickly realized he'd have to rely on senses other than smell. It made his eyes burn and water and his vision became blurry, but his hearing was unaffected. Luckily. The form in front of him, charging and bulky, leapt off the edge of the dock and to the barge. It almost immediately burst into flame in front of him, but Byakko could not stop his own leap mid-air, and landed atop the burning abomination, driving his sword through what he presumed was the thing's head, twisting the blade and then leaping to the side, snarling. His fur was singed, but overall he was just fine, and the scream of his Librarian drew his gaze. Her tone conveyed at least a modicum of concern, and Byakko bent to her, a soft rumbling purr from his chest as his rough tongue licked the side of her neck, taking her scent deep as he did so.

Pulling back and rising to his full height he opened his mouth to speak when a cluster of tentacles burst from the water, wrapping about him like whips and jerking the huge zoespiritum toward the side of the barge. There was a railing, but it was meant more to keep refuse on the flat of the ship, and Byakko's knees hit the barrier, flipping him end over end as he tumbled into the water.

The surface of the water was choppy now, and luckily Byakko was not averse to water, and had managed to grab a lungful. The water actually cleared his vision of the smoke and he could see the thing below. It had continued to mutate, and had adapted to the water in evolutionary fashion, with gills prominently displayed now. Byakko grabbed for his smaller blade, a dagger he could use to cut through the tentacles now wrapped about him...

 

[Shiva the Cat]

For once it was a good thing that Phaedra's gun needed to be wound by hand. She was midway through turning the mechanism when the lumbering figured leapt over her burning victim and made as if to tackle her...but instead she felt a rough tongue and a furry cheek brushing against her skin. Relaxing for a moment in relief, then jerking away in annoyance, she quickly continued winding. "Don't fucking do that when someone's got a gun pointed at you. You want to get barbecued?" she snapped at her partner, though the venom in her voice was greatly diminished by another harsh fit of coughing.

Rubbing at her eyes for a moment, the librarian squinted and tried to see through the haze. She could more easily recognize Byakko's towering frame now, but there were still several other shapes that might have been a monster, a lump of debris, or a fleeing civilian. Farther up the docks she could hear more people shouting, more angrily than fearful now. It was impossible to tell with the smoke in the way, but a rising hope that there were others joining in the fray. "How many are left?" she called to her Guardian, turning back towards Byakko just in time to see him fall--no, he was pulled--overboard. "Oh son of a godsdamned whoremongering piece of..."

The string of curses worthy of a New Port innkeeper's daughter continued as Phaedra scrambled to the edge of the barge, where the tiger seemed to be wrestling with a snake. Or...several snakes? No, definitely something worse. So they can swim after all she realized with a heavy feeling in her gut. In the open ocean that might not be so terrible, what with the abundance of living monsters that would have been more than happy to devour even the undead. But a harbor was a completely different issue. For a moment she raised her gun, but even if she could hit the thing while avoiding Byakko, what good would a #3 do? Steam the thing to death?

She felt for the small box of shells at her belt, ready to load up something that would at least do some damage if she hit it, but as she took a step backward she felt something poking in the small of her back. Turning around, Phaedra saw a long rusted metal pipe sticking out of the nearest trash heap, at least three or four feet long, possibly longer. It was heavy and unwieldy as she pulled the smelly thing free, but it might at least do some damage. Holstering her gun, the librarian gripped the pipe with both hands before jamming it unceremoniously into the water.

"Get off him you ugly hunk of shark shit," the woman growled, clumsily shoving the piece of metal into what she hoped was the monster's body and not Byakko's torso.

 

[Haruchai]

​

Byakko wrenched at the tentacles wrapped around him and tried to cut them with his knife, and though the water filled with blood the grip only tightened all the more around him, threatening to force the remaining air from his lungs. Bubbles roiled to the surface, and the huge tiger tugged hard, muscles straining. Then, a spear from above, a metal rod shoved into the murky silt-filled water, and a shrieking gurgling sound could be heard as some of the rubbery tendrils relaxed. The brown water showed red, and Byakko managed to get free, catapulting to the surface.

Great lungfuls of air made his head buzz and his muscles felt alight, and seeing that Faye was on the other end of the pole, Byakko smiled, fangs bared, and grabbed the pole, driving it downward and twisting it with far more force that she would have been able to muster. The water seemed to practically boil as tendrils exploded above the surface, flailing for some sort of purchase, but Byakko batted them away with his free arm, and they slowly settled, floating on the surface of the water.

Grabbing the railing of the barge Byakko hoisted himself up, though left the abominations pinned, the pole sticking up out of the water to mark the spot. Those bright blue eyes found Phaedre, Elric's eyes, though when Byakko spoke it was obviously not the man. "The last?!" he asked, inquiring as to the whereabouts of any others. As his did so, his eyes roamed over the Librarian, concerned over any wounds she might have suffered.

 

[Shiva the Cat]

For one brief moment the surface of the water seemed to go still. Letting go of the pipe, Phaedra again reached for her now fully-wound pistol and gently clicked off the safety as something burst upward. It might have been reflexes slowed by the smoke and exhaustion, or maybe it was pure hope, but she didn't fire, and instead let out a little huff of relief when she saw the furry head of a tiger popping up like a jack-in-the-box. It was actually almost comical the way his dripping fur clung to his skull, making him look more like a drowned kitten than a tiger, but what wasn't funny was how another half-dozen or so tentacles rose up out of the water after him.

Phaedra aimed for the nearest one, but as Byakko heaved himself onto the barge she stumbled slightly as the deck shifted under his weight. Luckily though, the tiger was more than capable of handling himself at this point, and easily dispatched the monstrosity in the water with the aid of the pipe. Satisfied that that one at least was taken care of, she turned back towards the docks to see what had become of the others. Someone had started a bonfire in the middle of the wide paved avenue that led from the docks up towards the center of town, and several figures in black armor were gathered around it, occasionally stabbing into the flames or throwing a body into the rising inferno.

The Shadow Guard. About fucking time they showed up Phaedra thought grimly, as she holstered her gun and looked back at Byakko. "I think that's all for now. Looks like the Guard has things under control. Better late than never I guess," she sighed, stepping carefully over and between the mounds of burning garbage and climbing back onto the dock. Although it probably wasn't necessary, she turned and held a hand out towards her Guardian to help him up beside her. "Besides taking an impromptu swim, are you all right? Any major damage?"

For the most part, Phaedra herself was all right, although as she sniffed at her coat she almost vomited. She needed a bath, and she needed one now. At first she was about to suggest that they retreat back towards the airship, but it hadn't even been an hour yet since they had arrived in Shadow Port (though it felt like ages). Not even a mechanical genius like Robin would have the engines running yet, and there was still the matter of getting their hands on some honey, and possibly shells. If there were any stores in the town still open after the chaos, they at least had to try to take care of their purchases.

And so it was that she brushed herself off as best as she could, smoothed her disheveled brown hair, and was about to head in the direction of the fire when she suddenly paused and looked back at her partner. To her eyes Byakko wasn't exactly a monster, but the residents of Shadow Port might not be quite so forgiving. The Shadow Guard was charged with protecting the settlement from the mysterious fae beasts of the Bitterwood, and while clearly their defenses on the port side left something to be desired, they were notoriously vicious when it came to slaughtering the inhabitants of the forest. No doubt they would just as soon throw Byakko straight into the fire with the undead than give him directions to the nearest general store.

"I don't suppose there's any way we can get Elric back?" the librarian asked with little hope in her voice, looking the tiger from top to bottom. "Not that I don't enjoy your company, Byakko, but you might be just a little too conspicuous for this town. If people get frightened of you, we can't exactly go around impaling them on rusty poles too, now can we?" Glancing over her shoulder, Phaedra did notice a dark alley they might be able to use to slip deeper into the city, but it still wouldn't do much good if they needed to do business in a shop. And besides, they'd be even more suspicious if they got caught sneaking around. If only there was some way to disguise him...

 

[Haruchai]

​

Byakko chuffed in displeasure now that he was soaked, and his fur was going to smell like smoke until he got a good and proper bath. This was the worst. At Phaedra's question he shook that massive feline head. "More bruised and banged up than anything. Vile beast." he said, and bared his teeth at the blood soaked water. Luckily he'd managed to keep hold of all his weapons, and he sheathed those blades and gave a low rumbling sound as he saw the Shadow Guard. It was good that they'd shown up, and they were efficient, but that also meant that word had spread, and now any Necelim that might be loose in the city would burrow away and hide like a maggot in a corpse.

The concerned gaze of the zoespiritum looked at his charge, and he knew she felt the same, and that a good proper cleaning was in order. But they had no time for that now. Then, her next question made his gaze intensify. She asked for Elric. He knew the man would be better in this situation, and in truth they were the same. Yet Elric was always... lesser. A pale shadow of his true form, which stood before the Librarian. They were separate and the same, and Byakko knew her words were wise, but he was loathe to lessen himself when it was clear that Phaedra might be in danger.

Still, with a nod of acquiescence, Byakko concentrated. Elric was awake and aware, and had watched and listened to this entire thing, though his influence over Byakko was not as strong as the zoespiritum's influence over him, and he rarely got to exert control and change back unless strong feelings were present. The hulking form of the bipedal feline slowly shrank back into a man, and the tousled blonde hair of Elric soon replaced the striped features of Byakko - though those eyes remained the same.

The tiger ring slipped back onto his finger, a modicum of control over the spirit within him.

​

Elric stretched, getting used to the feeling of his body, now bruised and sore. He exhaled in a sudden burst and then turned to Phaedra. "Shall we go?" he asked, and grabbed the rungs of the chain ladder that hung off the dock and down toward the barge - the normal way one would have boarded the ship which was not afforded them a few minutes ago. He would reach down a hand to help Phaedra up if she needed it, and once more they were on the upper docks.

"I fear our enemy might be more numerous and devious than we had previously thought. At this point we should assume that almost all of our correspondence is being spied upon. There is too much here for it all to be coincidence and the Necelim have hounded us at every turn." Elric said, his expression grim. He turned to see if Phaedra might agree.

 

[Shiva the Cat]

"Wow, that was easier than I expected," Phaedra remarked, her dark eyes blinking a few times. "I think we still need to sit down at some point, Elric, and discuss the whole Byakko situation. You know, how exactly all of that works, who's in charge, is the Athenaeum paying you twice....etcetera. We can wait until we're back on the ship, but I'm not going to forget about this, so you better not either." If Byakko could have read her mind, he might have found her in agreement that it would be safer to go through the town accompanied by a bipedal tiger with a sword, but unless she could find a way to disguise him, the only other way she could think of to travel with him was to put a leash on him and walk him on all fours, which somehow she doubted he would agree to. So in the meantime she would have to settle for the man, who wasn't looking nearly as hale and hearty as his other self.

"Are...are you sure you're up to this? You don't look so great," the librarian commented as she climbed up the ladder after him. When they reached the top, she paused and reached for the small circular flask at her belt. After taking a swig herself, she held it out in offering to her companion. "Here, it's just brandy but it might make you feel a little better. Can't have you falling on that pretty face, now can we?" She couldn't resist a small smirk. "Ceto forbid Robin loses interest in you and starts fucking the cabin boy instead."

The remark was probably uncalled for, but it did come from a place of genuine concern, albeit a very small one. Not for Elric's face, she doubted a few more scars would prevent women from flocking to his side. No, as much as she hated to admit it, she was worried for Robin and the rest of the ship's crew. If they had all stayed safely on board they'd probably all be fine, but Phaedra could have sworn she saw a few of the men coming ashore to pay a visit to one of the dockside taverns. Robin probably would have stayed on board, but who was to say one of the other crewmembers hadn't gotten caught up in the attack? Or worse, how would they know one of the men hadn't been outright replaced by one of the enemy.

Phaedra shook her head violently. "Come on, let's go find a general store. Getting honey should be our first priority. If there's time after we can see about an alchemist, but if we can't, we'll just have to make do. I have plenty of ammo, and I have a friend in The Fangs who might be able to help us find a weapons dealer in that part of the world. If not...well, I guess you're really going to earn your wages on this trip, aren't you?" All the same she reloaded her pistol, then led him down the narrow streets heading deeper into the town.

Unsurprisingly there was something of a panic in the streets when they did encounter people: civilians were running away from the harbor, and Guardsmen were dashing towards it. No one stopped them, but unfortunately most of the shops they encountered during their walk were locked up tight, the owners huddled inside cowering from the madness beyond their walls. The pair had nearly crossed the entire town when they finally found an establishment with an open door, beneath a weather-beaten sign that read "RED COW TRADE POST." The sign itself might have been red once, and was vaguely in the shape of some four-legged animal, but it would be a stretch to call it a cow.

As inauspicious as the sign was, the interior of the shop wasn't much better, and the proprietor seemed the most hopeless of all. He was a squat, middle-aged man, balding on top, and seated behind a counter where he appeared to be playing endless games of Xs and Os against himself. At first he didn't notice the pair enter his establishment, and when he did, he didn't bother to say anything. Indeed, it took several throat clearings from Phaedra to even elicit a "good morning" from him, despite the fact that the clock on the wall very clearly read six in the evening.

"Excuse me, we're looking for honey--" the librarian began, only to be cut off as the man pushed a small box containing pieces of dripping honeycomb towards her, leaving a sticky trail in its wake. Phaedra shook her head quickly. "No, I mean we need a large amount of honey. By the barrel if you have it, or the jar if not. Do you have any?"

The shopkeeper stared at her dumbly, his blue eyes watering. "Any what?"

"Honey."

"Lady I don't even know you. 'Sides, I'm married." Still, the fellow seemed a little bit flattered at the idea.

Phaedra's gloved hands clenched tightly. "No, I wish to purchase some honey. A great deal of it. Can you sell me some or not?"

There was a moment of hesitation as the man attempted to process the request, then he broke out in a smile. "Sure! Got some right here!" And yet again, he pushed the box of honeycombs towards the pair. Indeed, he pushed it so far it fell right off the counter, and onto Phaedra's already grime-covered boot.

For a moment her entire body tensed, and the librarian turned to her Guardian. "Will you excuse me a moment?" she remarked, then stepped outside the shop, where another long string of profanity softly wafted into the shop.

"Quite the tongue on your wife there. She always so grouchy?" the shopkeeper asked, looking towards Elric a moment before resuming his game of Xs and Os.

 

[Haruchai]

​

Elric took the bit of scolding in stride, and Phaedra seemed rather perturbed by something, and he only hoped he could give her the answers she sought. He was, after all, growing quite fond of her. That was the way of a Guardian. They were chosen for their empathy and their willingness to work with often obsessive and particular people without being driven away. Then she allayed his concerns and offered him a drink, her ribbing about Robin drawing a snort of amusement from Elric. "Ceto forbid..." he echoed, and took a deep swig of the brandy. It burned a little, but the warmth spread and he did feel better. He nodded that he was good and they proceeded into town.

She reloaded her weapon and he was reminded why he liked his blades. They never ran out of ammo, though in contrast one could certainly get too tired to swing it. They made a good pair in that regard. Elric stayed quiet as they walked through the streets, his keen senses straining to detect anything amiss, though the Shadow Guard seemed to have this fiasco under control.

The trading post that Phaedra picked was certainly a but grungy but Elric followed, sure to keep his sword in check lest he knock over the wares. The exchange that followed with the shopkeep was amusing but ultimately frustrating. Phaedra's social grace, or lack thereof, forced her to excuse herself and Elric watched her go, eyes drawn to keep his Librarian safe and fighting the urge to follow. With a deep breath he turned back to the man. He smiled.

"She's a handful." Elric agreed. He leaned on the counter and tapped the man's arm. "So here's what we're looking for. There's a big party we're preparing for and we need a lot of honey. Like... a barrel. You got anything like that?"

The man looked up as he spoke and then shook his head, as realization dawned. "Nah. I did, but it was bought not long ago. Actually, last I heard, none of the shopkeeps had anything like that any more. Some government guy came in and said that it was tainted, hauled it all away." he said with a shrug, and went back to his game.

Elric sighed, letting the man's words roll around in his head. The man wasn't the friendliest or most forthcoming, but he had no reason to lie, and someone going through the city and collecting all of the substance was more than a little suspicious. He thanked the man and then went to find Phaedra to give her the bad news.

"I think we got a problem. The man says that all the honey in the city was collected by some official. Said it was tainted. Not that I believe a word of that." The implications spoke for themselves.

 

[Shiva the Cat]

For one brief moment Phaedra's face lit up at Elric's return, but it was easy to see he was empty handed. "Great..." she sighed, hearing the news about the honey. "It's bad enough they started springing up in Axis, but here too? How far do you think they've spread?" The librarian clenched a fist for a moment, fear and frustration twisting her face into a grimace. Would they encounter the Necelim in every settlement they encountered? She supposed there was only one way to find out.

"I guess if that's the case, we should spend as little time in this town as possible. The Captain will have to test his entire crew again before we leave; I don't want to take any chances. Come on." Without sparing another word for the hapless shopkeep, the librarian began to head back towards the direction they'd come. The far off noise of the harbor was growing quieter by the minute. The Shadow Guard must have had things under control, but Phaedra couldn't help but wonder how long it would last. There's no point in worry about it now. You can't do anything for these people. That was right, she needed to focus on the task at hand. There was still Matthias to think about, not to mention the Necelim's book itself.

Maybe it was wishful thinking, but Phaedra was beginning to wonder if finding the Codex would be able to provide any help in defeating their apparently innumerable enemy. If not, could there be other books from the old days that could show them the path to victory? All of the ones she could think of were simple records of the mostly unsuccessful battles, and horrifying folklore that she had always believed to be exaggeration. Well, finding rare books was supposed to be her specialty. She was just going to have to get used to searching on her own, without help from the Athenaeum.

When they were nearing the harbor again, the woman stopped her companion in front of a two-story building that might have been someone's house if it weren't for the strange, intricately carved doors that Phaedra had recognized all too well. A serpent and a rose were twined in and around the image of a large gear and painted with a strange silvery substance that reflected even the smallest amount of light. Similar doors could be found at several different shops in Axis, and to the initiated were the marks were the clear signpost of an alchemist's shop.

At first the librarian had thought the establishment might have been closed, but she could see some dim lights through the window, and when she tried the doors they opened freely. Gesturing for Elric to follow her, the pair stepped into a cluttered room lit by candles and smelling faintly of a mix of metal and incense. A richly-dressed, dark-skinned woman was seated at a desk near the wall with a pair of googles lowered over her eyes as she carefully navigated a screwdriver through a small metal box. She scarcely seemed to notice the pair, but as they approached she acknowledged them in a deep, whiskey-sweet voice.

"Be with you in just one minute," the woman remarked, making a few more adjustments to the box before setting it aside and rising to a rather impressive height. "Now then, what can I help you with?"

Phaedra approached the woman confidently, then pulled her pistol out of its holster. "I'm looking for shells that will fit this. Do you have anything like that?"

Tilting her head slightly, the alchemist (or so she appeared) took the gun from the librarian and examined it closely. "My, that's a lovely piece. One of Al-Bakri's?"

"Why...yes. How could you tell?" The librarian's eyes went wide at the guess.

The alchemist grinned in return. "I was his apprentice. Zara Bin Rabi, at your service," she bowed deeply, then handed back the weapon. "My master was a brilliant alchemist, but a bit set in his ways. I've been able to improve on several of his designs, if you're interested in an upgrade, Miss...?"

"Macarrio. And this is my Guardian, Elric," Phaedra gestured towards the man beside her. Zara bowed to him as well, and her eyes caught the sight of both of her customers' rings.

"Ah, librarians I see. Makes me wonder what business the Athenaeum has in Shadow Port," she brought a hand up under her chin thoughtfully. "It wouldn't have anything to do with that commotion down at the harbor, now would it?"

"Avoiding the commotion is why we're here. While this piece has served me well, I'm concerned my work may require something more in the way of self-defense," the librarian said quickly, hoping to cut off the subject. "I'd be more than happy to take a look at some of your 'improvements,' Miss Bin Rabi. Not to imply your fair city is unsafe, of course."

A small smile crossed Zara's full lips. "They did build a wall around it for a reason. Come along then. If you're planning to head into the Bitterwood you'd better have some decent firepower." she gestured towards a case towards the back of the room. As she did so, a door near the case opened, and a man who bore a striking resemblance to the alchemist stepped out with a wild look in his eyes.

"Zara! Have you seen them? They're in the harbor...they're coming for all of us..." the man said in a dreamy voice, looking past the visitors to the woman.

"Karim...what did I tell you about interfering with customers?" Zara looked apologetically back towards Phaedra. "You'll have to forgive my brother. He has...strange ideas. One moment please." Stepping aside, she began to whisper to the man in an attempt to coax him out of the room.